Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari declared that the federal government’s countdown has started following his party’s poor performance in the ongoing elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which he described as rigged. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government at the Centre, supported by multiple parties including PPP as a key ally, secured a simple majority in AJK by winning 23 of the 45 seats.
Bilawal repeatedly condemned the elections as neither free nor fair, labeling them “rigged,” “bullet,” “murderous,” and “bloody.” Despite these allegations, he congratulated PPP workers for winning nine seats and vowed to reclaim constituencies, particularly in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad, that he claimed were stolen. He emphasized that the PPP would persist in its struggle, stating, “The Pakistan Peoples Party does not lose courage. We do not retreat, and we do not leave the field.”
In a video message, Bilawal called on his supporters in Poonch to prepare for a public gathering scheduled for August 10 in Bagh district, signaling continued political mobilization. “Poonch, I am coming. Get ready,” he urged.
Shortly before Bilawal’s remarks, senior PPP leader and Sindh minister Sharjeel Inam Memon issued a similar warning. He criticized the PML-N leadership and accused them, along with the Election Commission, of distributing ballot papers to their candidates two days prior to the polls. Memon further alleged that the administration ignored complaints from the current AJK president and prime minister, describing the elections as historically rigged.
Highlighting the 2024 elections, Memon questioned whether prominent PML-N figures such as Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had truly won their seats, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the results. These statements underscore the growing tensions and political unrest following the AJK polls.
